Tenter frame washing system for mercerizing ranges



J. B. LASLEY TENTER FRAME WASHING SYSTEM FOR MERCERIZING RANGES Filed May 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet l L... i .L

May 18, 1954 J. B. LASLEY 2,678,483

TENTER FRAME WASHING SYSTEM FOR MERCERIZING RANGES Filed May 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES '8. LAJL 5V i ATTORNEYS May l8, 1954 J. B. I AsLl-:Y 2,678,483

TENTER FRAME WASHING SYSTEM FOR MERCERIZING RANGES Filed May' 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS May 18, 1954 J. B. LAsLEY 2,678,483

TENTER FRAME WASHING SYSTEM FOR MERCERIZING RANGES Filed May 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 JAMES 8. LAJLEV ATI ORNEY J. B. LASLEY May 18, 1954 TENTER FRAME WASHING SYSTEM FOR MERCERIZING RANGES Filed May 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet IN VENTOR .r4/w55 B. Au fr May 18, 1954 J. B. LASLEY 2,678,483

TENTER FRAME WASHING SYSTEM FOR MERCERIZING RANGES Filed May 28, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Y hm l Qu v thm. l

ATTORNEYS Patented May 18, 1954 TENTER FRAME WASHING SYSTEM FOR MERCERIZING RAN GES James B. Lasley, Lancaster, S. C., assgnor to The Springs Cotton Mills, a corporation of South Carolina Application May 28, 1952, Serial No. 290,497

13 Claims. (Cl. 26-1) This invention relates to mercerizing apparatus, and more particularly to an improved washing system for removing mercerizing caustic from a cloth web While the web is carried on the tenter frame of a mercerizing range.

As is Well known, mercerizing is the process by which a sheen is imparted to cotton liber through treatment with caustic (i. e., sodium hydroxide). The action of the mercerizing caustic on the liber is a purely physical one of changing the fiber from a more or less flat form to a cylindrical form more akin to that of synthetic filaments. However, even though the mercerizing process acts directly on the liber (as distinguished from cloth constituted by the fiber) the process is commonly applied to cloth in web form, rather than initially to the ber yarn, Where it is a mercerized cloth product that is nally desired.

When the inercerizing is done at the cloth stage, the cloth Web is conventionally handled in a mercerizing range incorporating a tenter frame to prevent shrinkage ofthe cloth by the mercerizing caustic, and the caustic must be washed from the cloth adequately before leaving the tenter frame in order to avoid this shrinkage. Accordingly, ythe cloth mercerizing ranges have heretofore also conventionally included a washing system by which Wash Water was applied on the top face of the cloth Web at successive intervals through Weir boxes spaced from the delivery end of the tenter frame, the wash Water being recovered below each Weir box by a suction box disposed at the bottom face of the cloth web and connected to deliver the recoveredwash Water serially to the succeeding Weir box. These previously employed washing systems, however, have never been fully satisfactory for a number of reasons.

In the nrst place, because the Wash Water has been characteristically delivered serially through the Weir boxes in these prior Washing systems, a throughput of Wash Water corresponding to the capacity of any one Weir box has necessarily been required which has meant that a relatively high wash Water supply has been needed. i Also, because the successive Weir boxes have been supplied with Wash Water directly from a suction box at the preceding Weir box, a substantial amount of entrained air has had to be dealt with which has made it necessary to use rather expensive and cumbersome displacement pumping means. In addition, because heat exchangers are commonly employed in the delivery line for each Weir box in order to heat the Wash Water for better Washing action, the entrained air from the suction boxes has had highly objectionable effects when passed through these heat exchangers in causing splashing and the like.

Further, because it was common in the previously available Washing systems to provide the Weir boxes and suction boxes in a Width that a1- lowed them to extend transversely of the tenter frame for the maximum Width of cloth web that could be handled, and to mount the Weir boxes and suction boxes centrally of their length for rotation so that they could be angled to reduce their transverse extent when smaller Widths of cloth were being handled, the Washing action has not been properly adjustable for different widths of cloth, for the Weir boxes would still remain at a constant capacity when rotated Without any compensation for the dilerence in cloth width. Also, the angling of the suction boxes resulted in an undesirable tendency to channel the Wash water to one side or the other of the cloth Web, and the arrangement for angling the Weir boxes and suction boxes imposed undue space requirements for the Washing system that reduced substantially the eiiectiveness with which a given tenter frame could be used.

This latter factor of the effectiveness with which a given tenter frame may be used has a particularly important bearing on the eiliciency with which the cloth mercerizing process is carried out, because the mercerizing strength or concentration of caustic must be maintained in the cloth for action on the constituent fibers for a given length of time in order to obtain effective results, and a given length of travel on the tenter frame before washing must therefore be provided at a given speed. Accordingly, the speed with which a cloth mercerizing process may be carried out is limited on a given tenterI frame by the space required for the Washing system provided, and undue space requirements for the Washing system Will limit unduly the speed at which a given tenter frame can be operated in a mercerizing range.

Finally, it should be noted that because the action of the mercerizing caustic is a purely physical one, the caustic used is not degraded in any respect and would be available for eiectve reuse if it were feasible to recover the caustic from the wash water. However, the serial application oi wash water to the cloth web for removing the mercerizing caustic in accordance with prior practice is not adapted, because of the high Wash Water throughput required, for removing the caustic in high enough concentrations to make recovery of the caustic practicable, so that the caustic has heretofore been routinely discharged with the Wash Water and lost.

According to the present invention, there is now provided an improved washing system for use with cloth mercerizing ranges of the type noted above, which is characterized by the independentzrecirculati'on"'of Wash Water yatV a plurality of Washing stations in parallel from a common Wash Water supply having a relatively low throughput, and which results in very substantially more effective Washing ...action vthanbas heretofore been possible With prior systems. It is possible with the washing system or" the present invention, for example, because ofthe-ilow=wash Water throughput to obtainfeasily awashf-water discharge containing a concentration of mercerizing caustic, whereas ltheuconcentrations obtainable with prior systems have been of the order of not more than 3 to 5% at the mostfwhich means that less than half of the amount of water iperfpoundocaustic needs' to ybe dealt'with in retcoveringf. thecausticwhen -employingzthe Washing system of the present invention as--coinparedwith the priorsystems.

eAlso, ithe vWashingA system "of i the lpresentiinvention iis 'notable for 'the 'compactness .with 4'Which itnfiayrbeil arranged. :This is illustrated by aan4 installation :iembo dying fthe present vinvention that hasf'actuallyfbeenfmade and operatedwith f excellent results .on amercerizingf'rangeY incorpc- 30 .irating-.fa 70 -foot tenteriframe, andthatiprovides X28 Washingtstationson the iframe. 'In "contrast, this installation Was made fside z by side with. a .mercerizing .range employing :1a vrepresentative '.Washingf systemof the t type previously available fin' which .only=4 washing'stations iwere provided :cnza 70 `foot. tenter: framafand which. would have irequiredifaaQU fooi-tenter "frame tol make 8 Washing stations available .Theseffan'd'otherffeaturesof the washing sysitem of "the =present :invention 'are 1 described'. in further idetailf-below inr'co-nnection with'fthe accompanying drawingsginfwhich:

Fig.: lisua'vmore orlessf diagrammatic. side elevation of a washingvsystem arranged?according 'ito'the :presenti invention;

lig;A Ztis affragmentary side'elevation illustratfing ffurther a v suitable 'actual embodiment lof means?foridelivering-ra Wash Water? supply' toy the f-washing'rsystem;

Fig. `3 :sa 'fragmentaryl'plan vievv 'correspondi ingzgenerally to :F.ig.:2

l Fig. is a f'further fragmentary side elevation 1 of ani actual-3 embodiment of the Washing.- system propem -zlig.5 is fragrnc-:utary@endfelevationsubstanu :.tiallyas'fseen fromthe line 545. in5Fig. 4;

lig;Y 6 Visa further' fragmentary 'pla-n1 view illustrating the fwashwater 'Weir box "arrangement, sandcorresponding:"generally to "Fig. 4;

Fig. f7 isVv .a lfurther end elevation substantially easiseenffrom theright in# Fig.: 4;

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail taken. substantially f on the liner 8-18 inFig; '7 pand 4flflig. 9 is fa further fragmentary plan viewillusf-trating the Wash Water fsu'ction box arrangement aandfcorresponding igenerallyto Fig. 4.

zReferring f now f infrdetailI to theV drawings, and .moreiiparticularlyiat first to Fig. l., theadiagrammatic illustration-in Fig. V1 indicatesby a broken `'linevat 1W the pathoacloth web vas itin/Ould travel :..on lthe tenter lframe (not shown) of a -mercerizing range, following-'application of the -mercerizing-;caustic,with the related disposition gofapluralitygfof: pairedl Weir boxes lil and suction 4 boxes H being represented schematically in accordance with an arrangement for a Washing systern embodying the present invention. As has already been noted above, these paired Weir 5 boxes Iii and suction boxes H would beV spaced from the delivery end of the tenter frame to allow anadequate-initial travel tof the .web W on the tenter from lthe receiving end thereof before Washing out the mercerizing caustic com- 10.emences -Forpurposeso illustration, the Weir boxes it and-suction boxes IlY are represented in Fig. l extending in the plane of the drawing, although iiti-Will-ibeunderstood that in an actual cmbodi- 15 =1ment'they Would-extend transversely of the cloth Yweb W, as cwill'appear in detail further below. :herepresentation in Fig. l is purposely distorted in this manner to illustrate clearly at the outset the #characteristic paired arrangement of the Weir boxes ID above the path of the cloth web W A to cdeliver wash rivater f 'on :the top .face thereof, landiofithefsuctionboxes i l yimmediately beneath the rb'ottomiace :oftheweb W to; recover' the'deiiveredwash#Water;fortheiparallel recirculation of Wash waterzas'provided according to the presfentsinvention. p

.E-Chewash watervsupply'means. isshown in Fig. liascomprisingia wmpflz'to which the Wash Waterl is :delivered "by fiany suitable "means as at iifsfrom affreshfwater supply; ori' from the overilc'w f ofa'fsepanate washerlin. Which the web W may subsecgu-entlybe'treatedfafter leaving the "ftenteri frame :Iorifrorn the-spillage at the. y.suction r`Lbo1f esi l.; .o'rffrom'lthe' wash Water discharge of 30 'the wash-ing rsystem of the present invention; orifromfcombinations'of any .of thesesources as :may rbelrno'stsadvantageousr.:in Va particular instance. Y Y

p1llhe-sunip |:2is equippediwith a sump pump -40 mmf.; ififfrom-.whichfawash water supply une is, Vthat preferablyf includes 'ia suitable sump` liquid -levelicontrolvalve asrat tfruns to v-aibottcm :level-iof-a first Washfwater-receiver il arranged L-'adjacent;thepaired\weirboxfI0 `and suction .box i5 Si', I adispo'sedrstf adjacentthe delivery end ofV the itenter?:carryingltherclothweb WG. e., nrstfrom -the-ffleftrassseen nfFigl). "The receiveriil is :fa-lso?. provided'withe anoverlcw' outlet at a Vhigher Alevel fromvwhichea connectingllinei'' runs to a 'bottom level:offaniexactlysimilar second receiver tIlzfortheipairedweir'.box lill and suction box ii atrthefsecon'd spaced't'washingfstation (from the letti inTFig. l) ,iandso onthrough' succeeding 'rey"ceiverslll -fconne'ctediin thefsame manner for teach of the'ipaiie'd`fweir :boxes lil andsuction :boxes-1H ,provided (eightiras shown in Figl, al- `though fany greater Vor lesser number desired might be provided), With the last receiver il `:havingz'a discharge .line-1 t9- connected to its over- Gozflovvioutlet. ^As -aeresult,\a1 common wash Water I'supply'.meansisfprovidedfor all ofthe Washing ffstations, th'e :overflow arrangement aty each ref ceiver il ttrapping, in a'gprogressive manner as l#will be: noted; presently,.a-supply-"o Wash water G5 Hat eachiwashingrstation for recirculation in par- .al-lelthrough the. paired yweirrboxesiii and suc- 1 tion `boxes 1 l l i fromY the. common `supply means.

`iThefreciroulation ofwash- Water at each Washfingrstatiomisaccomplished through Weir box delivery. linesfZzconnecti-:d-to-each receiver il' at a -ievely belowtthey over-iiow outlets; from which the .previously'rnentionedfconnecting lines i8 run. Each-.ofthesef deli-veryrlines 20 `is equipped With a kpump unit'2I,--andpreferably runs through ,aheat' exchanger 422 @supplied with va suitable the related AWeir box I0.

The Wash Water delivered in this manner is recovered by the suction boxes Il arranged in paired relation below each weir box It and immediately beneath the bottom face of the web W. Recovery suction is provided at these suction boxes II by a closed arrangement of the receivers I1 and means for impressing avacuum on them above the wash Water level therein, such as a vacuum pump as indicated at 23 connected through a common header 24 by branch lines 25 running to a top level of the receivers l'I well above the overflow outlets therein. It should `also be noted that the discharge line I s from the last receiver I1 is arranged with a liquid seal at 26 which together with the sump I2 serves to maintain the vacuum impressed by the pump 23.

The suction thus `obtained is applied at the suction boxes i I through suction lines 21 running also to a top level of each receiver I?, and by which arrangement it will be noted that air en `trained at the suction boxes II is immediately removed from the system through the action of the vacuum pump 23, which means that an airfreesupply of wash Water is always maintained for delivery to each Weir box It so that only a simple delivery pump unit 2! of the centrifugal type is needed and the operation of the heat exchangers 22 is much simplified because of the absence of any entrained air .passing through them.

With a Washing system arranged according to the present invention asiust described above, the wash water delivered from the supply sump I2 may be regulated at a throughput selected simply in relation to the amount or mercerizing caustic to be removed, the single limitation being the provision of a sufficient throughput to avoid a build-up of caustic concentration in the wash Water beyond the point at which eilective extraction from the cloth web W Washed can be obtained. rIhis is so because the parallel recirculation of Wash Water at the washing stations is carried out` independently of the throughput to provide a relatively high volume of Wash water dow through the cloth Web W even though the throughput is regulated at a relatively low volurne. For example, the actual installation of the present invention mentioned above hasbeen operated typically and with excellent results at a throughput of 4 gallons per minute and a re- 1 circulation at each washing station of 25 gallons per minute. The result is a removal of the mercerizing caustic with a minimum of wash water and a consequent caustic recovery at high concentration that allows reclaiming and reuse of the caustic. A take-off line 28 is provided beyond the vacuum seal 25 in the discharge line i9 for recovery of the mercerizing caustic therefrom, or for returning the washing system discharge for use in the wash water make-up at the sump I2, as previously suggested, if this may be done advantageously in the particular washing operation being carried out.

The remaining gures of the drawings illustrate more in detail a suitable form for an actual embodiment of the washing system ofthe present invention. In Figs. 2 and 3, the wash water supply sump is shown at 5u with a feed line running thereto at y5I (as shown best in Fig. 3). This feed line 5I is fitted with an overflow riser at 5 2 to prevent flooding of the sump 5D, and with suitable connections as at 53 and 555 for receiving a Wash water supply to be delivered to the sump 50 from any suitable source as previously explained above, the connection 565 being indicated in Fig. 3 asA running from a drip pan 55 disposed below the mercerizing range tenter frame (the delivery end stands of which are repM resented by broken lines in Fig. 3 at 5S) to catch the suction box spillage for return to the sump 59. The sump 5G is also preferably ntted with a vent line 5l for removing foam and the like from the wash water supply before it is delivered to the Washing system.

The delivery pump unit for the sump d@ is shown in Fig. 2 at 58 connected to a delivery line 59 for the washing system. For suitable operat ing control, this delivery line `59 is preferably fitted with a pressure gage as at Se and with a liquid level control valve EI that may be arranged for automatic operation through any conventional actuating means, such as the air actuated system illustrated schematically in Fig. 2 as comprising an air supply line 62 running through a lter at 63 and branching through one connection as at 54 to a liquid level recording and con trolling instrument B5, with a second branch 5E running through a bubble glass 5l to a dip pipe at the sump 50 arranged in the usual manner to sense the liquid level in the sump titi, through the reaction of the liquid level head on the air pressure supply from the branch line ISE; and connected through a `return line 59l to transmit this sensing to the control instrument 55.

Control of the liquid level valve 6I is then obtained from the control instrument 65 in terms of the dip pipe sensings through an actuating line lo, running from the instrument 65 through a relay '.'I to the liquid levelA valve 5I, the relay l! being provided for operation through suitable electrical connections (as indicated at 'l2 in Fig. 2) from the drive for the mercerizing range so that the valve 6I will be closed automatically whenever the range is stopped. The relay il is represented in Fig. 2 as having a bleed port 'it that is opened to release the actuating air pres sure on the valve @i when the mercerizing range is stopped, and with a continuation of the actuating line 'la as at 'l running to the valve al for delivering actuating air pressure thereto under the control of the instrument d during normal operation of the mercerizing range. This liquid level control arrangement as just described above is simply representative and is conventional, and it may be replaced by any other comn parable means desired, for even a simple oat valve would accomplish the required purpose of maintaining a liquid level sufficient to provide a vacuum seal at the pump 50.

The wash Water delivery line 59 should also preferably be iitted with a by-pass as at 5g around the valve 6I (compare Fig. 3), and with strainer unit as at 'M havinr suitable drains as at 15. i

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary side elevation of the washing system proper as incorporated in an actual embodiment according to the present invention. The wash water delivery line ES is shown in Fig. 4 at the lower left hand. portion running to a bottom level of the wash water receiver -for the first washing station (i. e., first from the left in Fig. 4, the direction of cloth travel on the tenter being indicated by the arrow identified by the reference character W at the top of Fig. 4). The receivers in this embodiment are arranged to comprise aloWer-vvash water receiver portion Hand an Iupper heat exchanger or heater portion 1l formed asa composite unit, and which arrangement allows exceptional oompactnessas `will be seen-from Fig. 4. The connecting lines between the succeeding spaced receivers lt are shown kin Fig. 4 at i8 having an inclined disposition to connect an overovv level of each receiver l with va bottom level of the next succeeding receiver, for the purpose already explaind above, the last receiver 'i5 having a discharge line 'I9 connected at its overnow level and this discharge line i9 would be connected according tothe present invention through a vacuum seal (not shown) as has also previously been explained above.

The Weir ,box delivery llines are connected from the receivers -16 at 89 through `a pump unit (see Fig. 7.), with 4a continuation of this delivery line as at 80 running from the discharge outm let of thepump Aunitiil to the heater portion 'il of the composite-receiver units, from which the VWeir box delivery line continues as at te to deliver the heated Wash water as Wil-l be explained more in detail presently.

The heater portions 'ilv oi the composite re ceiver units Iare supplied with heating medium suitably frorna common steam header as at 82 hav-ing branch lines 83 running to each heater portion 'l1 with suitable indicating and control fittings arranged in each of these branch lines S3 as illustrated in Fig. 4 at 83. Similariy, suitably iitted condensateA drain connections are provided from each `of these heater portions 'il to a common condensate ydrainY header Sti (compare-Fig. 5)..

The vacuum header for the receiver portions l@ is shown in Fig. 4 at85-equipped with a vacuum pump at 86 arranged to discharge through a collection tank 81l from which any Wash Water entrained in the vacuum system may be returned to the -drip pan through a drain line 37', and which is iitted with an air discharge as at 8l", for the pump'SE. The branch lines from the vacuum header l85 to -eachV of the receiver portions 'i6 are shown in Figs. 4 and '7 at t5', and the suction box return lines are `shown in Figs. 'i and 9 at 88.

The arrangement of thefweir boxes for delivering the Wash Water at each Washing station is illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, in Which the delivery line connections Y89" from the heater portion 'il are shown extending with anV overhead disposition to central down-comers y99 that areV carried on a hanger rail 89 forming part of a frameV structure 89" for supporting the Weir boxes 9@ suitably above the path of travel. of a cloth web being carried on an associated tenter frame, such as would have. spaced supporting stands arranged as indicated at 9.! in Figs. 6' and 'l carrying cross supports as at 9i, and equipped with a Width adjusting .mechanism actuated from a hand wheel as at `92 (see Fig. '7). The down comers 89 branch into two legs at their lowering ends and these branchingY lower'ends are attached directly as by Welding or the like to the Weir boxes 90 Vso as to. support them from the hanger vrail 89.

The Weir boxes 99 Vare arranged in this manner according to Vthe present invention with a iixed f `disposition extending transversely of the associated tenter frame and of the path of a cloth web carried thereon, .but they are -formed for adjustment readily in accordance with a particular width setting 4for the associated tenter frame andthereby .-for `adjustment nicely to the Washingv vrequirements `of a particular width of cloth web beingmercerized. This adjustment is provided for through an arrangement'of the Weir boxes y with oppositely Ydisposed halves, the down-comers 89 branching, as noted above, to deliver Washrwater to eachof these halves through side openings 90 adjacent the ends at which they are attached to the Weir boxes 9i!v (see Fig 8). The respective halves of the Weir boxes 90 are arranged with oppositely disposed back and side Walls 93 andA 93 and with Weir lips llover which the wash Water is delivered ontothe top face of the cloth Web-being processedand each -of which lips is arranged with an adjustable Adam element 94 riding thereon and .arranged with any suitableV adjustable securing means (not shown) for extension to vdarn partially the normal extent loi the Weir lips 94Y and thereby restrict the capacity of each Weir. half iii-accordance with the tenter width setting as mentioned above. It would be possible, ofcourse, to accomplish the same result with one continuous Weir lip. running across yanentire side of the Weir box 99 and fitted at each. end with suchy dam elements, but the arrangement of opposed halves as described above allows delivery of vthe Wash Water `in better conformance with the arrangement of thesucn tion boxes for similar Width adjustment as incorporated in the Ypresently described embodin ment andnoted in detailjust belovv.Y

The suction box .arrangement of the. present embodiment is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 9 oi' the drawings inwhich the suction boxes are shown at 95 arranged in related halves at each washing station (and at a supplemental recovery station as at 95' inFig. 9) with each half adapted as at 95" for bolting .to the tenter frame side rails (not shown) and having their inner ends disposed to ride a central support rail 9E mounted .95 are'arranged in staggered relationV to allow this sliding adjustment on the central support rail 96,.-the above noted arrangement of the Weir boxes 99V with oppositely vdisposed halves is Vernployed so that the Wash Wateris delivered on the top tace of the clothweb .being processed in better correspondence with the disposition of the suction box halves 95 beneath the bottom face lof the web. The connection oi these suction box halves 95 (and95) to the previously mentioned suction box return lines 88 is made through extensible joints 91 for each suction box. hali 95 (and 95') to accommodate their sliding nievementfor adjustment, and through branch lines 98 running fromreach extensible .joint 9i to a co1. mon vjunction with the return .lines 8S. Y

The presentinvention has been described'above for purposes of illustration only and is not intendedto be limited by th-isdescription or other- Wise except as defined Yby the appended claims.

l claim:

l. In amercerizing range for handling cloth in web form and.. incorporating a tenter frame for maintaining `the `cloth web stretched against `shrinkage .by the mercerizing caustic, .a Washing frame, said washing system comprising a wash water supply means, a plurality of Weir boxes spaced from the delivery end of said tenter frame above the path of said web thereon Vand connected with said supply means'in parallel for delivering wash water onto said web, and a corresponding plurality of suction boxes spaced below said weir boxes and beneath the path of said web for recovering said delivered wash water and likewise connected with said supply means in parallel for returning the recovered wash water thereto.

2. In a mercerizing range forhandling cloth in web form and incorporating a tenter frame for maintaining the cloth web stretched against shrinkage by the mercerizing caustic, a Washing system for removing the mercerizing caustic from said cloth web while carried on said tenter frame, said washing system comprising a plurality of paired upper Weir box and lower suction box units spaced from the delivery end of said tenter frame and disposed with` the weir boxes of said units above the path of the cloth web on said tenter frame and the suction boxes beneath said web, and a common wash water supply means arranged for delivering wash water to the Weir boxes and for receiving recovered wash water from the suction boxes of said units in parallel.

3. The combination with a tenter frame in a mercerizing range for handling cloth in web form of a washing system for removing mercerizing caustic from said web while carried on said tenter frame, said washing system comprising a plurality of paired upper weir box and lower suction box units spaced from the delivery end of said tenter frame and disposed with the weir boxes of said units above the path of the cloth web on said tenter frame for delivering wash Water onto the top face of said web and With the suction boxes immediately beneath the bottom face of said web for recovering said delivered wash water, a common wash water supply means, and means for recirculating wash water from said supply means independently through each of said units in parallel.

4. A washing system for removing mercerizing caustic from a cloth web while the web is carried on a tenter frame comprising a plurality of washing stations spaced from the delivery end of said tenter frame, each of said Washing stations incorporating an upper Weir box disposed for delivering wash water onto the top face of a cloth web carried on said tenter frame and a paired lower suction box disposed immediately beneath the bottom face of said web for recovering wash water delivered by said Weir box, a common wash water supply means, and means for recirculating an eiiective volume of wash water from said supply means independently through each of said washing stations in parallel.

5. A washing system for removing mercerizing caustic from a cloth web while the web is carried on a tenter frame comprising a plurality or washing stations spaced from the delivery end of said tenter frame, each of said washing stations incorporating an upper Weir box disposed for delivering wash water onto the top face of a cloth web carried on said tenter frame and a paired lower suction box disposed immediately beneath the bottom face of said web for recovering wash water delivered by said Weir box, a common wash water supplymeans, means for regulating the throughput of Wash water by said supply means in relation to the amount of mercerizing caustic to be removed, and means at each of said Washing stations for recirculating 10 an enective volume of wash water through said web in parallel from said supply means and independently of said throughput.

6. A washing system for removing mercerizing caustic from a cloth web while the web is carried on a tenter frame comprising a plurality of washing stations serially spaced from the delivery end of said tenter frame, a closed wash Water receiver for each of said washing stations, each of said receivers being provided with an overflow outlet, a wash water supply line running to the receiver at the washing station first adjacent said tenter frame delivery end, successive connecting lines running from the overflow outlet of each of said receivers to the next succeeding receiver and to discharge from the iinal receiver, an upper Weir box disposed for delivering wash water onto the top face of a cloth web carried on said tenter frame and a paired lower suction box disposed immediately beneath the bottoni face of said web at each of said washing stations, means ior supplying wash Water to the weir box at each of said washing stations from the receiver therefor, means for impressing vacuum on said receivers above the wash water level therein, and means connecting said suction boxes to said receivers above said liquid. level i'or recovering wash water and returning it to said receivers.

7. A washing system as defined in claim 6 and further characterized in that said wash water supply line or said connecting lines run to a bottom level of said receivers for supplying wash water thereto, said overiiow outlets are disposed at a higher level, said Weir box supply means are connected to said receivers at a level below said outlets, and said suction box connecting means and vacuum means are connected to said receivers at a top level above said outlets.

8. A washing system as deiined in claim 6 and further characterized in that said Weir box supply means comprises a pump unit having the inlet thereof connected to the receiver and the outlet thereof connected to run to said Weir box through a heat exchanger unit.

9. A washing system as defined in claim 6 and further characterized in that the weir boxes and suction boxes at said washing stations are disposed transversely with respect to said tenter frame and are formed for extension and retraction in accordance with the width setting of said tenter frame.

10. A Washing system as dened in claim 6 and further characterized in that the suction boxes at said washing stations are disposed transversely with respect to said tenter frame and are provided in staggered halves for extensionI and retraction in accordance with the width setting of said tenter frame, and said halves are adapted for securing to said tenter frame for extension and retraction automatically in accordance with the width setting thereof.

il. A washing system for removing mercerizing caustic from a cloth web while the web is carried on a tenter frame, comprising a plurality of washing stations spaced from the delivery end of said tenter frame, each of said washing stations incorporating means for delivering wash water onto the top face of a cloth web carried on said tenter frame and means for recovering said wash water, a common wash water supply means, means for regulating the throughput oi wash water by said supply means in relation to the amount of mercerizing caustic to be removed, and means at each of said washing stations for Ilv Y Y recirculating an effective volume of wash Water through said deli-vering means onto said Web and back through said Vrecovering means in parallel from said supply means and independently of said throughput. Y

12. In a washing systemA for removing mercerizing caustic from a cloth web While the web is heldunder tension` to counteract shrinking ofthe cloth by said mercerizing caustic and is moved through said Washing system in a direction opposite to the throughput of Wash water through said system, the improvement of a plurality of independently operable Washing stations spaced along thecourse of travel of said cloth, a common vwash Water supply for furnishing a limited amount of water to each of the washing stations and eecting a throughput of relatively low vol- Vurne of Water through the system, and means at `eachrof said washing stations for recirculating a relatively large volume of Wash Water in a relatively short time through the cloth web independently of said throughput and such that the Wash Water circulating through the cloth at each Washing station is recycled at that station, whereby the concentration of the mercerizing caustic in the discharge of the throughput is substantially increased and. to a point Where recovery of the caustic from said Wash Water is economically feasible.

. 13. Iny ai-washing system for removing mercerizing'caustic from a cloth web while the web is carried' under tension to prevent shrinkage by the caustic, a plurality of independently operable washing stations arranged' in parallel relationf ship andv located at spaced intervals along the course of travel of said cloth web, means fory furnishing a limited'amount of Water to each of the Washing Vstations and maintaining a throughput of relatively low rate of water through said washing system, and means at each of said separate Washing stationsY for recycling Water at a relatively high rate through the cloth as it passes each of said stations for effective removal of caustic from the cloth.

References Cited in the le of thisV patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number -Name Y Date 813,078 Bernhart Feb. 20, 1906 899,440 Shuman et al Sept. 22, 1908 1,706,827 Steiger` Mar. 26, 1929 1,893,197 Cohn Jan. 3', 1933 2,005,352 Shaw June 18, 1935 2,239,636 Weiss Apr. 22, 1941 v2,620,544 'Mullen Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,073- Great BritainV of 1912 

